Small Business Breakthrough

With the boom in interest in small business has come a welter of advice from many quarters - how to start in small business, what area to start in, what pitfalls to avoid. Yet little serious study has been performed on small business itself, and too much is said based only on deductions from formal economics and generalizations derived from large firms. This book attempts to break out of this mould, and present insights into the real world of small business. What factors determine success or failure? What are the problems peculiar to small business, from financial constraints to managerial control? How can a small business manage transitions as its market develops? The authors develop their analysis through thematic case-studies of real business - all of which were examined intensively over a prolonged period. Their conclusions will be essential reading for all involved in small business - whether owner, manager, consultant or teacher. The contributors are all members of the Small Business Unit, at Loughborough University of Technology